Mammoo
05-01-2003, 01:15 PM
Sometimes a change at the top is required to snap a team out of the doldrums.
The classic instance that comes to mind is when George Steinbrenner replaced Billy Martin with Bob Lemon in 1978. Everyone knows that Lemon was no ball of fire but the change did serve to wake up the team and change the atmosphere; Martin and Lemon being worlds apart personality wise. The result was a pennant. The mercurial Yankee owner ultimately dumped Lemon and returned the managerial reins to Martin.
Jerry Manuel's baseball acumen really isn't the issue. Conversely, I believe he knows as much as any other manager, it's just that this group of athletes is not responding to his leadership and perhaps a change will "light a fire" under these guys!
The classic instance that comes to mind is when George Steinbrenner replaced Billy Martin with Bob Lemon in 1978. Everyone knows that Lemon was no ball of fire but the change did serve to wake up the team and change the atmosphere; Martin and Lemon being worlds apart personality wise. The result was a pennant. The mercurial Yankee owner ultimately dumped Lemon and returned the managerial reins to Martin.
Jerry Manuel's baseball acumen really isn't the issue. Conversely, I believe he knows as much as any other manager, it's just that this group of athletes is not responding to his leadership and perhaps a change will "light a fire" under these guys!